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As WIRED’s resident wearable tester, I’ve tried enough smartwatches to know there’s life beyond the Apple Watch. I just apparently don’t want it. Maybe it’s because I joined the Apple ecosystem at 10 years old and have been indoctrinated ever since.
I’m fluent in iOS, macOS, and watchOS, and for better or worse, the Apple Watch is my default wearable. But what’s the best Apple Watch to buy? There are now three models, each with its own set of features, and the differences between them can appear minor even when the prices aren’t.
Fortunately, I’ve tested them all; Here’s how the current lineup stacks up. For more recommendations, check out our guides to the Best Apple Watch Bands , the Best Apple Watch Accessories , and the Best Smartwatches . Love WIRED?
Add us as a preferred source on Google to see more of us. Jump To Best Apple Watch Overall Photograph: Boutayna Chokrane Photograph: Boutayna Chokrane Photograph: Boutayna Chokrane Apple Watch Series 12 The Series 12 is Apple’s flagship watch. Its biggest upgrade is the new Health Sensing System , which improves the breadth, accuracy, and frequency of its health tracking.
The ECG now uses 32 electrodes for better skin contact, up from two on the Series 11 , while improved optical sensing and more efficient LEDs deliver more accurate heart-rate readings. The Series 12 also tracks your heart rate every five seconds throughout the day and HRV as often as every five minutes, compared with every five minutes for heart rate and roughly every two hours for HRV on the Series 11 . The Series 12 also introduces Apple’s Readiness score, which gives you a snapshot of how prepared your body is for the day based on your recent health and activity data.
Audio Intelligence is another major addition, though two of its headline features (Live Rewind and Siri Recap) won’t arrive until later this year. Battery life remains rated for up to 24 hours, but charging is faster. Fifteen minutes delivers up to 12 hours of normal use, and five minutes get you up to 10 hours of sleep tracking.
Just about the only feature the Series 11 lacks is satellite connectivity, but if you don't go off the grid, then it has everything else you need. Specs Case(s) 42 mm or 46 mm Display Wide-angle OLED, Always-on Retina display, up to 2,000 nits Battery Life Up to 24 hours (up to 38 hours in Low Power Mode) GPS Precision L1 GPS Finishes Aluminum: Dark Bronze, Light Gold, Black, Space Gray; Titanium: Radiant Gold, Natural; Ceramic: Pearl White, Night Blue Best Battery Life Photograph: Boutayna Chokrane Photograph: Boutayna Chokrane Photograph: Boutayna Chokrane Photograph: Boutayna Chokrane Apple Watch Ultra 4 The Ultra 4 ’s biggest upgrades are its longer battery life, faster charging, and new health-tracking capabilities. It lasts up to 50 hours on a charge—up from 42 hours on the Ultra 3—and up to 84 hours in Low Power Mode.
Fast charging gets a boost, with 15 minutes on the charger providing up to 18 hours of normal use and five minutes offering up to 10 hours of sleep tracking. A new Health Sensing System and faster S11 chip enable frequent background heart-rate and HRV tracking, the Readiness score, and Apple’s suite of Audio Intelligence features. Beyond those improvements, the Ultra 4 is essentially the same smartwatch as its predecessor.
It remains built for multi-day hikes, water sports, and endurance activities, with water resistance up to 100 meters and a depth gauge rated to 40 meters for recreational scuba diving. Its standout feature remains satellite messaging, which lets you contact emergency services when you’re beyond cellular or Wi-Fi coverage. Fall and crash detection, plus a built-in siren, offer additional precautions to get help when you need it.
My biggest complaint is that the 49-mm can be too large on slimmer wrists. I’d like a 46-mm option. Specs Case(s) 49 mm Display Wide-angle OLED, Always-on Retina display, up to 3,000 nits Battery Life Up to 50 hours (up to 84 hours in Low Power Mode) GPS Precision dual-frequency GPS Finishes Titanium: Natural, Black Best Budget-Friendly Apple Watch Photograph: Adrienne So Apple Watch SE 3 Apple didn’t update the SE this year, so the Watch SE (3rd Gen) remains the most affordable.
It’s designed with the S10 chip, which enables many of the health features the SE 2 lacked, such as sleep apnea notifications and skin temperature sensing. It’s compatible with watchOS 27, so you can use the dynamic app grid, the Siri app, and Workout Buddy. It has fast charging, and even though it doesn’t have the Series 12 ’s 24-hour battery life, former WIRED editor Adrienne So still somehow managed to eke out a full day with it, even with the always-on display.
The screen is only a 1,000-nit display compared to the 2,000-nit display on the Series 11 ’s wide-angle OLED display, and it doesn't have the UWB locator chip. You’re missing out on the new features, including the new Readiness score, high-frequency heart-rate and HRV tracking, and Audio Intelligence . It also cannot check your blood oxygen or take an electrocardiogram , nor does it have the latest hypertension notifications.
Specs Case(s) 40 mm or 44 mm (aluminum) Display OLED, Always-on Retina display, up to 1,000 nits Battery Life Up to 18 hours (up to 32 hours in Low Power Mode) GPS GPS Finishes Aluminum: Starlight, Midnight Compare Top 3 Apple Watches Product Case Size(s) Material(s) Display GPS Battery Life Price Series 12 42 mm or 46 mm Aluminum, titanium, or ceramic Wide-angle OLED, Always-on Retina display, up to 2,000 nits Precision L1 GPS Up to 24 hours $399 Ultra 4 49 mm Titanium Wide-angle OLED, Always-on Retina display, up to 3,000 nits Precision dual-frequency GPS Up to 50 hours $799 SE 3 40 mm or 44 mm Aluminum OLED, Always-on Retina display, up to 1,000 nits GPS Up to 18 hours $249 Honorable Mentions Apple Watch Series 11 for $399 : With no price difference between generations, the Series 11 only makes sense if you find it at a significant discount. It misses out on high-frequency background heart-rate tracking, Recovery HRV readings, the Readiness score, and Apple’s suite of Audio Intelligence tools. It also uses standard GPS instead of the newer Precision L1 GPS, and it lacks the latest fast-charging boost, but it can still charge for up to eight hours of battery life in 15 minutes.
Apple Watch Ultra 3 for $799 : With no price difference between generations, the Ultra 3 only makes sense if you find it at a significant discount. It has a shorter battery life, rated for up to 42 hours compared with the Ultra 4 ’s 50 hours. You also miss out on Audio Intelligence , high-frequency heart-rate and HRV tracking, and the Readiness score.
Otherwise, it’s basically the same outdoor-focused Apple Watch. Avoid These Apple Watches WatchOS 27 only works with the Series 9 and newer, so I wouldn’t recommend buying an Apple Watch older than that. With less price variation between generations, I’d also only consider an older Apple Watch if it’s on sale.
How I Test Apple Watches For my initial reviews, I wear each Apple Watch day and night for about a week, using it as I would a typical smartwatch, fitness tracker, and sleep tracker. Afterward, I continue testing for at least another month to evaluate longer-term claims and how useful its wellness data proves to be in practice. I sport each watch during workouts, throughout the day, and while sleeping to judge its comfort over time.
I also consider screen readability indoors and outdoors, and the responsiveness of the touchscreen and physical controls. I test everyday functions like Siri, music playback, and watchOS to evaluate how intuitive they are to navigate and how well they integrate with the iPhone experience. I track how long the battery lasts with features such as workout tracking, notifications, and sleep tracking enabled.
I also note charging speed and how practical it is to maintain throughout a full day and overnight. Because the Apple Watch is also a fitness tracker, I use it for a range of activities, including but not limited to runs, rides, and strength training. I compare heart rate readings, workout detection, step counts, and other fitness metrics against previous Apple Watches and competitors (i.e., Oura and Whoop).
I also compare sleep tracking with predecessors and competitors, looking at the quality of the data, how useful the metrics are, and whether it provides actionable insights.
Source: WIRED
